It’s another offseason for the Green Bay Packers where some sort of decision around Aaron Jones contract and future with the team has to be made.
From a pure football perspective, there is no reason not to have Jones back in 2024, which will be the final year of his current contract.
Over the Packers’ final five games, once Jones returned from an MCL sprain, he rushed for over 100 yards in each contest. During that span, Jones led all running backs with 458 rushing yards and his 5.7 yards per attempt were the fourth-most. He also ran for three scores while his 14 explosive rush attempts were also the most.
Throughout his career, and whether it be Aaron Rodgers or Jordan Love at quarterback, this Packers offense is better when Jones is on the field. The jobs of the 10 players around him become a bit easier.
It doesn’t take massive running lanes carved by the offensive line for Jones to spring a big run, and his presence helps open up opportunities in the passing game as well.
“He does so much,” said Jordan Love of Jones’ impact. “Obviously, just the leader he is on the team and then you got his playmaking ability when he gets the ball. He’s the total package right there. Love Aaron Jones and he brings just a huge spark to the team. The way he carries himself, the way he handles his business, shows up ready to work everyday. I can’t say enough about him.”
However, in order to have Jones back for the 2024 season, it may take some financial maneuvering of his contract. Currently, Jones is set to count for $17.6 million against the salary cap. According to Ken Ingalls, who independently tracks the Packers’ salary cap situation, the $12 million Jones is set to earn is tied with Christian McCaffrey and behind only Nick Chubb among running backs.
Ingalls writes that the Packers are $10.5 million over the 2024 salary cap at the moment. In order to be ready for the regular season, which includes covering the costs of the upcoming draft class, practice squad, reserves for in-season spending, among other expenses, the Packers need to shave off $30 million in cap costs by Ingalls’ projections, and that doesn’t include if they bring in any outside free agents.
With Jones in the final year of his deal, if the Packers wanted to have him just ride out his current contract as is – and not push more cap charges into 2025 – they have that option. But that would leave Jones, who hasn’t played more than 57 percent of the offensive snaps in a season since 2019, as the second-highest paid running back in terms of cash, as referenced above.
This would also force the Packers to have to create cap space elsewhere to have the necessary spending power to navigate the offseason and 2024 season. With that said, to help with his endeavor of reaching salary cap solvency, Ingalls adds that finding a way to lower Jones’ cap hit by around $8 million for 2024 would go a long way.
Given that Jones is nearing 30 years old, coupled with his injury history, lowering his cap charge this season through an extension is likely not in the cards. Giving more years and more dollars to a running back at this stage of his career isn’t the prudent move.
Last offseason, Jones took a $5 million cash pay cut in addition to restructuring his deal to help create cap space. In order to help create that needed cap space, the Packers and Jones again agreeing to another restructure and/or pay cut is going to have to take place, according to Ingalls.
However, with a restructure, there is a bit less flexibility with Jones’ contract at this point, considering that the Packers have already utilized three void years, leaving them with only one left to use. This limits how much in current cap charges can be pushed out.
To aid in the restructure, Ingalls mentions that the Packers could give Jones the opportunity to earn additional dollars by pushing more earning potential into incentives or per game bonuses. With this approach, it helps the Packers with the current cap situation and pays Jones for his availability.
With how well Jones finished the 2023 season and the overall impact he has on the offense and the team as a leader, it’s difficult to envision him not being a part of the 2024 Packers, but some financial maneuvering will likely have to take place along the way.
“He certainly had an impact on the game,” said Matt LaFleur at his end of season press conference, “and an impact on our offense, an impact on our team with our late-season push. I don’t know if we do all that without him. That’s all part of the process.”
As a position group, adding to the running back room will be one of the top priorities for Brian Gutekunst this offseason. Even with Jones back, the Packers need to begin searching for his eventual replacement, not to mention that finding a capable second running back who can take some of the workload off of Jones’ shoulders.
AJ Dillon is set to be an unrestricted free agent. Patrick Taylor is a restricted free agent who Ingalls predicts won’t be tendered. Emanuel Wilson will return as an exclusive rights free agent, but is still young and developing. The Packers also signed Ellis Merriweather, who spent most of 2023 on the practice squad, to a futures deal.
